Articles From the Team

Calling all 2016 qualifiers. Are you ready for the race?

It's that time of year where 2016 qualifiers need to turn their attentions to qualifying. You're under starters orders!!

If you're qualifying in March, you'll probably know by now whether your current firm is able to retain you. Even if they are, think carefully whether it's definitely the practice area you want to go into and the firm you want to work at post-qualification. Depending on market forces, it can be possible to shift practice areas a couple of years down the line, but it's by no means easy and will usually set you back salary-wise. You've probably worked out by now that the law can be an infuriatingly pigeonholing profession! It goes without saying that you shouldn't even consider taking a role you don't really want with your current employer out of a sense of misguided loyalty, this is your career and you need to steer it.

If you're looking to the external market, firms are interviewing now for March qualifiers.The market is particularly active in real estate and corporate but there are opportunities across most practice areas.

If you're qualifying in September you've got more of a juggle on your hands. You probably won't find out till May if you can be retained in your top choice of practice area but there will be firms who already know where their gaps will be and will be recruiting for those September gaps from March onwards in a frenetic whirl of activity. It definitely pays to start early and keep your options open and here at BCL we're registering and working with the September qualifiers now!

If you're looking to the external market, do use an agent. It means you can keep track of where your various applications are up to, rather than sending them off into the ether and hoping for the best. We can chase up your dream firm for you and spur them into action when you start getting interviews coming through elsewhere as we have strong existing relationships with all the resourcing teams, and we can manage the whole process for you, leaving you to concentrate on completing your training and attending interviews.

Contact us now for our Trainee Solicitors Handbook which is full of useful advice and more.